David Ortiz Sounds Off After Hearing His Name Get Pulled Into Debate On PEDs

The subject of PEDs led to a recent war of words between Red Sox pitcher John Lackey and Orioles manager Buck Showalter. In the process, Boston slugger David Ortiz got pulled into the conversation, and he wasn't happy about it.

The background: Lackey suggested that Baltimore DH Nelson Cruz, the A.L. leader in home runs, hasn't faced much criticism considering he was suspended 50 games last year in the Biogenesis controversy. Showalter defended his player by saying, "We all need to make sure we check our own backyard before we start looking at someone else's."

Although Showalter didn't mention any names, analysts on MLB Network did, and one suggested Ortiz had been given a free pass. Ortiz tested positive for PEDs in 2003 when MLB was trying to determine what sort of policy needed to be adopted. At the time, MLB hadn't banned PEDs. But those tests were supposed to be anonymous.

"When they are commenting about what Showalter said, they brought my name up," Ortiz told WEEI.com. "Then one of the guys wanted to say that I got a free pass. And to be honest with you, in this country, nobody gets a free pass. He wants to make it sound like I got a free pass because nobody can point fingers at me directly. But the reason why I got that fake [expletive] free pass that he's saying is because they pointed fingers at me with no proof. It’s easier to do it that way than having something that they can say, 'Yes, you did this, you did that.' My [expletive], I call straight up bull. Let me tell you. You don’t get no free pass here, especially a guy like me. I don’t get no free pass. That free pass B.S. that they want to talk about over there, they can shove it up their [expletive].

"That's reality. You don't use the words that I get a free pass. You don't get a free pass on this. MLB don’t play that B.S. MLB don't play that. There's a reason why I’ve been drug-tested like eight times and we're not even at the break. Is that a free pass? There's a reason why I’ve been tested like 40 times since they approved the policy, the drug policy. Is that a free pass? They can get that free pass and shove it up their [expletive]."

Ortiz is not shy about speaking his mind. In May, Ortiz said David Price was acting "like a little girl" after the Ray pitcher hit him with a pitch and prompted the benches to clear. Ortiz also said about Price, "I have no more respect for him."